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Something is rumbling across the Hudson River and it's leaving some New Jersey residents exhausted and shaken.
People in Edgewater, Fort Lee and Cliffside Park, New Jersey, all cities across the water from Harlem in New York, say they are often startled awake by mysterious nighttime music playing from Manhattan, according to local officials.
The pulsating noise, which they say can be heard between 11:30 p.m. and 5 a.m. on weekends, reportedly reached a crescendo in February when Edgewater police reportedly received hundreds of complaints.
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“The source of the noise was determined to be from across the Hudson River in Harlem, New York,” the Edgewater Police Department told Fox News Digital.
“We contacted the NYPD regarding the noise complaint. In the warmer months, we typically receive some complaints when party boats pass by Edgewater on the Hudson River.”
The trip across the George Washington Bridge from Fort Lee, New Jersey, to Harlem, New York, is short and sound travels quickly through water. (iStock)
Now there is a debate on social networks.
Many residents emphasize that the noise is coming from a nightclub in Harlem. Others, like the mayor of Edgewater, believe partisan boats could be to blame.
Michael J. McPartland, mayor of Edgewater, told Fox News Digital that Edgewater has had problems with party boats for many years.
“Typically in the summer, ships do charters or cruises with booze and loud music,” McPartland told Fox News Digital.
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He said that “five, six, seven years ago” he spoke with the NYPD to rectify the problem. “They usually accommodate us,” he said.
He added that the “condominiums along the river in Edgewater” are the most affected by the noise.
Residents of the city of Fort Lee, New Jersey (pictured above) often choose the city for its proximity to New York City. But many prefer the calm feeling of a less crowded neighborhood. (iStock)
He said parks in Upper Manhattan can also be noisy. “Sometimes they allow late-night parties there,” he said.
When asked if he was aware of the most recent complaints, McPartland said he was not.
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Many members of the Facebook group “Edgewater, New Jersey and Fort Lee, New Jersey and Cliffside Park, New Jersey” remain outraged.
They are convinced the music comes from a Harlem restaurant and club with an outdoor lounge and skyline views.
New Jersey residents who live across the water from New York City are demanding answers. (iStock)
Other residents are baffled by that. The restaurant that some have pointed out closed two years ago.
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Some members of the Facebook group said the noise was so loud it seemed like it was in their backyard.
Some called it a dull vibrating sound. Others said the music plays all night.
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“Sound will transmit more over water than in the woods or a grass field,” Bennett Brooks, president of Brooks Acoustics Corporation, a company based in Connecticut and Florida, told Fox News Digital.
“However, a moderate wind upstream or downstream will alter the sound,” he added.
“Sound transmits more over water than in the forest or a grassy field,” says one expert. (Kena Betancur/VIEWpress)
Brooks isn't convinced the noise is coming from Harlem. In his opinion, the source could be local.
He said it's harder to enforce regulations when it's two states instead of one.
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The New York City Noise Code is designed to balance the city's nightlife with the needs of residents, according to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Updated in 2007, the rules focus on limiting “excessive and unreasonable” noise that could affect health and safety. Law enforcement is carried out by the DEP and the NYPD.
Some New Jersey residents are convinced the noise is coming from Harlem in New York. Others don't believe that's true. (iStock)
The guide said background noise in busy areas can make it difficult to assess violations.
If the noise is coming from Harlem, then “New Jersey and New York would have to come to an agreement,” Brooks said. He said if the source can be conclusively identified, civil legal action may be necessary.
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Specific limits apply to common sources such as construction, traffic, animals, air conditioners, food vendors, garbage trucks, and amplified music.
For venues that play music, sound cannot exceed 42 decibels inside homes, and between 10 pm and 7 am must remain within 7 decibels above the surrounding ambient noise on the street.
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“In an urban environment, sound bounces between buildings, making it difficult to determine the true direction,” Brooks said.
